Anghus Houvouras reviews the first issue of Lazarus….
“In a dystopian near-future, government is a quaint concept, resources are coveted, and possession is 100% of the law. A handful of Families rule, jealously guarding what they have and exploiting the Waste who struggle to survive in their domains. Forever Carlyle defends her family’s holdings through deception and force as their protector, their Lazarus. Shot dead defending the family home, Forever’s day goes downhill from there….“
Modern science fiction seems obsessed with two things:
The division of classes and the inevitable apocalypse.
These two staples of the genre have been so used recently that it’s starting to feel a tad redundant. I know what you’re thinking: These tropes have always existed with science fiction. The separation of classes, the disparity between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ has been used in sci-fi as far back as HG Wells’ classic The Time Machine. You’re not wrong. These themes are not new, but they have been wheeled out so many times that the impact is lessening with each subsequent post apocalyptic/sci-fi story that hits the market.
Lazarus #1 is a comic that suffers from the familiar. Everything about it feels derivative. From the female, katana wielding protagonist, to the redundant survivalist story painting a dystopian society where humanity is once again struggling to endure.
The issue opens with Forever, the family protector, killed by thugs trying to steal supplies. The aptly named Forever doesn’t stay dead long, as she returns to life just in time to slaughter them wholesale. Michael Lark’s art pops and feels nicely suited for the story. Although my chief complaint about Lazarus is the story itself.
Maybe it’s unfair to place the lion’s share of the blame on writer Greg Rucka’s all too familiar plot, but right now it feels so tired. In a day where World War Z is in theaters, The Walking Dead rules the airwaves, and when I’m playing The Last of Us on the Playstation. We are brimming with post-apocalyptic dystopian scenarios in every available artistic outlet. Nothing about the world of Lazarus feels new or exciting. There’s no new ground being broken here. I realize that not every comic has to be groundbreaking or reinvent the genre. However, with the amount of exceptional comics hitting the marketplace, there has to be something about a title that excites a reader and keeps them coming back. I didn’t find that hook in the first issue of Lazarus.
Lazarus #1 might appeal to fans of this genre. For me, it’s an indicator of a market flooded with all too similar stories and doesn’t cover enough new ground.
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker. His latest work, the novel My Career Suicide Note, is available from Amazon.
Originally published June 25, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
